Girthing means for riding-saddles.



1. B. GATHRIGHT.

GIRTHING MEANS FOR RIDING SADDLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1910.

Patented July 6, 1915.

UNITED STAIE FATE orrrcn.

JOSIAH B. GATHRIGHT, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

GIRTHING MEANS FOR BIDING-SADDLIES.

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,525.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOSIAH B. GATH- RIGHT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gil-thing Meansfor Riding- Saddles, of

which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to girthing means for saddles, and has for itsmost important purpose the provision of a-girthing means therequirements of cavalrymen, cowboys and others who have felt a need fora girthing means of such nature. This purpose, and others which willhereinafter appear, are fully secured from. the constructionsillustrated in the accompanying"drawings, which exemplify what is atpresent regarded to be the best embodiments of the invention but to thedetails of which the invention, in its broader aspects, is notrestricted, as changes may be made in the details without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a double-rigged saddleembodying my invention, showing the girth secured. Fig. 2. is a similarview of a saddle having a single-ring .girthing embodying my invention.Fig. 3 is a detail edge view of the fastening members and contiguousparts,- prior to adjustment of the latter into fastening relation witheach other. Fig.4 is a similar view of the same parts secured together.

Fig. 5 is a detail representation ofa modified form of one ofthe-fastening members. Fig. 6 is a detail representation of the ringfrom which a member of the fastening means is suspended. Fig. 7 is adetail representation, in side elevation, of one of the fasteningelements, and Fig. 8 is a like view of the other fasteningelement.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in the severalviews.

A, in both Figs. 1 and 2, designates a riding saddle, which maybe of anysuitable construction. In the form shown in Fig. 1,

the saddle is double rigged, being shown as provided with straps l, 2and 3 arranged as in the usualswing for such girthing. In the form shownin Fig. 2, the straps designated 1 and 2, are arranged as is usual insingle rig girthing.

Patented July 6,1915.

In the first form the rigs are provided with a pair of'rings,

B, which are. supportedv from the saddle by the straps, and in thesecond form the rig has a single ring.

single rigged saddle or double rigged saddle, they are designatedthroughout by'the same reference character, B. The fastening means alsoare or may be identical whether used in a single rig saddle or doublerig saddle, the only essential difference being that in the doublerigged saddle a'pair' of fasteningmeans are employed.

-The ring B, in the herein exemplified As these rings are of identicalconstruction, whether used in the I forms of the invention, provides anopen support for-the upper one of 'two'comple mentary elements 0 and Cand also serves as a support for and to change the direction of a pullmember 6 said pull member extending through the ring and having itslower end operatively connected with'the lower fastening element C andits free end arranged in position where it may be grasped and moved, tomove the pull member through said ring and thereby raise the lowerfastening element C relatively to the upperfastening element 0. Saidring is preferably provided at its lower end with a cross bar 5 which isof less diameter than the adjacent parts of the ring. to form guid ingelements for the pull member C The pull member preferably is a stra n-asshown. The upper fastening element C preferably has its upper end formedor provided with a loop or hook 7 by which it is suspended from andpivotally attached to the bar 5 of the ring B. The other element,

C, is suitably connected to. the girth D and when the strap C has beenpulled to bringv the bar 9 into proper position therefor. This bar 9 ispreferably ovoidal in crosssection to best adapt it to travel past thehook 8, and to give it maximum strength and reduce the extent to whichthe hook 8 must project from the body of the element C as compared withthe circular or angular bar. The element C is also provided with twoother bars 10 and 11, spaced apart. The girth D is secured to the bar 11preferably by a loop (Z, and the pull strap C is suitably secured at oneend to the intermediate bar 10, and extends thence upward rearward ofthe bar 9 and of the element C, thence over the top of the latter,between the guiding shoulders G, 6 of the ring B and to the front of theelement C.

As shown in Fig. 2, the pull strap may be secured directly to the girthinstead of indirectly thereto, in which case it extends from the girthupward in front of the bar 10 and behind the bar 9 and to and over thetop of the element 0 from the rear as before explained. lVhether thepull strap is connected directly to the element C or to the girth D ithas connection with said element C such that a downward pull. upon thefree end of the strap C will lift and accurately guide the element Cuntil the bar 9 has passed over the hook. In this movement of the pullstrap over the swiveled member C, the lower end of the latter is pressedtoward the horse with its hook in the path of the bar 9 and the passingof this bar over the point of said hook is indicated by a distinctclick. When this indication has been given the strap may be released,but the hand should be heldsufliciently close to prevent outwardswinging of the hook away from the bar before'the latter has been seatedtherein. This pull upon the strap C after passing its fore end throughring B, and holding of the hand near the animal is all that is necessaryto effect the fastening of the girth, and obviously it may beaccomplished in an instant and without requiring the user to see theparts, inasmuch as the swinging element C is held against lateraldisplacement and the pull strap is guided in its proper place ofoperation by the shoulders 6 already referred to. In order to unfastenthe girth, a downward pull is given the strap C to lift the bar 9 abovethe point of the hook 8. When this pull is relaxed, the reaction of thegirth and strap C causes the element C to swing outward and withdraw thehook S from the path of downward movement of the bar 9 so as to permitthe latter to pass by. During this time, the hand is given a slightoutward movement in order that it may not interfere with the describedoutward swinging movement of the element C.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4t and 8, the element C may be formed orprovided with a depending loop 15 into which the end of the pull strap Cmay be tucked when the girth is fastened; or, as shown in Fig. 2, a loop15 for the end of the pull strap may be attached to the body of thegirth D. These loops, however, are not essential to a secure fasteningof the girth and when they are integral with or attached to the elementC the strap may be pulled and the girth released without withdrawing thestrap from the loop.

As shown in Fig. 5, the member (designated C corresponding to theelement C already described, may be provided with a plurality of books(designated 8 instead of a single hook (8) for purposes of adjustment.When the conditions are such as to not require frequent adjustment ofthe length of the girthing means, the singlehook form is preferablebecause of its comparative simplicity. It is not essential to myinvention that the described fastening elements be arranged at eachside, as any suitable fastening means may be used on the off side andoccasional adjustment made on that side.

Having thus described the invention what I believe to be new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a girthing means for a riding saddle, the combination with asaddle rig and a girth, of upper and lower complementary fasteningelements, the former of which is suspended from the rig and the otherhas connection with the girth, said fastening elements being arranged tobe movable relatively to each other, and a pull member arranged to raisethe lower fastening element into fastening position, the said pullmember extending upward from the lower fastening element and the saddlerig having a device over which the pull member moves and which changesthe direction of the pull member, one of said fastening elements havinga seat and the other having a part arranged to be held by said seat whenthe lower fastening element has been brought into fastening relationwith the upper fastening element.

In a girthing means for a riding saddle, the combination with a saddlerig and a girth, said saddle rig having an open support at one end, of afastening element piv otally suspended from said open support, a secondfastening element having connection with the girth. and a pull membereX- tending through said support and arrange to raise the secondfastening elementinto fastening relation with the other fasteningelement, one of said fastening elements having an open seat and theother having a part arranged to be held by said seat when the elementshave been brought into fasten member.

3. In a girthing means for a riding saddle, a girth, an upper fasteningelement arranged to bevpivotally suspended from the saddle, a lowerfastening element having connection with the girth, and a pull mem berarranged to raise the lower fastening element into fastening relationwith the upper fastening element, said pull member being disposed at therear of the upper fastening element and having its free end extending tothe front thereof, one of said fastening elements having an open rearwardly extending seat and the other of said fastening elements having apart which engages said seat when the fastening elements have beenbrought into fastening relation by force applied to the pull member.

4i. In a girthing means for a riding saddle, the combination with asaddle rig and a girth, said saddle rig having an open support, of afastening element suspended from the open support and having arearwardly projecting hook, a second fastening element having connectionwith the girth and provided with a member adapted to seat in said hook,and a pull member arranged to raise the second fastening element intooperative relation with the other fastening element and extendingrearward of the latter element and through said open support to thefront.

5. A girthing means for saddles, comprising a pair of fastening elementsone of which has a hook and the other a bar to be received by said hook,an open support upon which one of said elements is swiveled, a pullmember extending through said sup port and having connection with theother of said elements and arranged to move the latter, and a girthhaving connection with the last named fastening element.

6. A girthing means for saddles, comprising upper and lowercomplementary fastening elements, the upper element having means wherebyit is pivotally supported from the saddle and the lower element havingconnection with the girth, one of said elements having a bar which isovoidal in cross section and the other having a hook to receive saidbar, and means for raising the lower element into fastening relationwith I the upper element. comprising a pull memher having connectionwith said lower element and engaged intermediate of its length by asupport over which it travels and which changes its direction.

7. A girthing means for saddles, provided with a ring having a bar ofless diameter than contiguous portions of the ring, forming shoulders, afastening element pivotally supported by said bar and held againstlateral movement by said shoulders, a second fastening element, a girthconnected with the latter element, and a pull member extending throughsaid ring and between said shoulders, said pull member being arranged toraise the second fastenlng element into" fastening relation with theother fastening element andsaid fastening elements having complementaryinterengag= ing parts oneof which forms a seat for the other. I i 8. ,Agirthing means for saddles, comprising an open support-having means bywhich it is suspended from the saddle, an upper fastening elementpivotally suspended from said support, a lower fastening element havingconnection with theigirth, and a pull member having connection with thelower fastening element and extending through the support, saidfastening elements having members which engage each other when they arebrought into fastening relation by force applied to the pull member andthereby hold the fastening elements together, one of said elements beingprovided with a loop for receiving the freeend of the pull member whenthe fastening elements have been engaged witheach other.

9. In a girthing means for a riding saddle, an open support arranged tobe suspended from the saddle, a girth, a fastening element suspendedfrom said support, a second fastening element having connection with thegirth, said fastening elements being respectively provided with arearwardly extending open hook and a bar to seat in said hook whentheyhave been brought into fastening relation with each other, and meansfor raising the'second fastening elements into fastening relation withthe other fastening element, said meanstcomprising a pull memberarranged rearward of the first-mentioned fastening element and extendingto the front through said open support, the open support having meansfor guiding the pull member and for holding the first-menti0ned elementagainst lateral movement.

10. A girthing means for saddles, comprising a rig having a ring, afastening element pivotally suspended from said ring and provided withan open seat, a second fastening element having connection with thegirth and provided with a member to engage said seat, a pull memberhaving connection with the second fastening element and extending thenceupward through the ring and downward from the ring, the pull memberbeing movable through the ring and said ring having shoulders whichcon.-

fine the first-mentioned fastening element and pull member againstlateral movement, and means for holding the free end of the pull memberwhen the fastening elements are engaged with each other.

11. The combination with a saddle and a girth, a ring connected to thesaddle, a fastening element pivotally suspended from the ring andprovided with a hook and a loop,

asecond fastening element, connected to the girth and provided With abar to engage the hook of the first mentioned fastening element, and apull member arranged to lift the second fastening element and engage thebar of the latter With the hook of said firstmentioned fastening elementsaid pull member extending through the ring from the rear and having itsforward free end arnesses.

JOSIAH B. GATHRIGHT. Witnesses:

E. S. Foo'rn, W. T. BAKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

